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His Mercy ... The Way of the Sikh:
Letter & Spirit # 16
YUKTANAND SINGH
One day in New Delhi, in reply to a seeker’s question, Bhai Sahib said: there is no doubt that our sins are countless. All numbers have a limit and thus there is still a limit to the number of our sins and faults.
But Guru Nanak’s mercy is without any limit or boundaries. We must never forget this and never lose hope. If there is any delay, it’s only due to our own failure to take his sanctuary. His mercy and his forgiveness are not delayed.
In my youth, a friend sent me a message wanting to see me. My friend was also young. But he had been ill. His health was deteriorating due to a form of tuberculosis unresponsive to treatment. The end of his life appeared imminent.
He was a close friend. Upon seeing me, he openly cried. I saw that he had lost all hope. He said, “Bhai Sahib ji, the doctors have declared that I will not live much longer. But ever since I can remember, I have not done anything good, not even charity. I have never even had a thought of doing something good for someone.
“I am afraid of death but I am helpless now. I have no one who can help me. What will happen to my soul? I am afraid that even in my death, I will not have peace. I worry about it day and night.”
Then he started to weep, sobbing uncontrollably.
I reassured him. I asked, “Brother, tell me, is the ocean greater or the ship in that ocean?”
He felt encouraged, and said, “Bhai ji, the ocean is always bigger. Several thousand ships can easily sink and disappear in the ocean.”
“That was the idea” I said. “I accept your answer as truth. You must also accept this truth that, just like the truth that the ocean of Guru Nanak’s mercy is immeasurable. Countless sins can simply disappear in the ocean of his mercy. Do not regard Guru Nanak’s forgiveness as some small gesture, and do not be afraid because of your sins.
“The sins have limits while my Guru Nanak’s forgiveness has no limits. It is infinite. We only need to show up and reserve our spot at his door.”
“Please tell me what I can do now?” He asked. “What can be done in the short time that I have left? All my life I did not come to the Guru.”
“Nothing is lost yet,” I pleaded. “Take Guru Nanak’s sanctuary now and start repeating ‘Wahe-Guru …Wahe-Guru’ in your heart. Continue doing so day and night. Guru Nanak always forgives. One must never lose hope, and never lose faith in his mercy. He will take you into his lap even now. Give up all your worries and let yourself rely only on Waheguru’s naam.”
My advice made him feel better, his faith recovered, and he started the simran of ‘Waheguru’. After a while I left him and returned home. He spent two more days in naam simran. On the second night, I saw him in my dream. He appeared very happy. He was sitting on a branch of the historic elaachi berry tree within the Harmandar Sahib enclave.
When I went closer, he addressed me, “Bhai Sahib ji, Satguru has been benevolent to me. Guru Nanak had mercy and he has called me to his court. So I am here now. Look! How nice the atmosphere is here … and the berries are so sweet. Here, have some!” That is when I woke up … I looked at the time … it was 1.15 AM.
Next morning I sent someone to check on him. The messenger returned and I found that he had passed away … at exactly 1.15 last night. Seeing him in my dream at Harmandar Sahib was proof that only two days of simran had released him from misery and it made him worthy of receiving Guru’s mercy.
Even if someone does naam simran for five minutes everyday it adds up and accumulates as wealth. This wealth is useful in the afterlife. Only this form of wealth is the currency that we can use after death.
Kabir ji has said in Guru Granth Sahib: “ek gharree aadhi gharree …” [GGS:1377] - “Kabir, a fraction of time, half of that fraction, or even one-quarter of that, each moment spent in the company of the Lord’s devoted is profitable.” One-fourth of a ‘gharree’ is only about 5 or 6 minutes.
William Stead was an editor of the English magazine, ‘Review of Reviews’. His friend, Sister Julia Ames, had died. She sent messages to him from the spirit world. He published those messages in a book titled, ‘Letters from Julia’. She told him that even if he spent five minutes in devotion everyday, only upon going there, he would realize how much wealth he had accumulated. He will be wealthy. You accumulate this wealth now, but it is useful after death.
Just as, we cannot reach sun, and if we did, we would be burned by its intense heat. But we can sit in the sun and we can enjoy its warmth. It is the same as reaching the sun.
Similarly, living in love and remembrance of the formless God and thus becoming worthy of receiving His mercy, is also the same as meeting God.
Meeting God could be difficult. But by entering His spiritual presence in the form of shabad we can earn this wealth and pluck the fruit of our life. This much is easy.
Continue to repeat naam. There is no need to be lost, or for knocking at the door of some holy man, or a spiritual teacher, a ‘saadhu’, etc.
We can use only the wealth of naam that have we earned ourselves. No one can earn it for us, or even lend a portion to us. Only someone who eats the food is going to be satiated by it.
November 14, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), November 14, 2012, 1:01 PM.
Yuktanad ji, thanks for this chapter, which we also, coincidentally, recently shared at our weekly satsang. It is indeed 'gurparsad' - "ghaal na mili-o sayv na mili-o / mili-o aa-ay achint-taa" [GGS:672] - "We cannot meet Him by our own efforts, nor can we meet Him through service. He comes and meets with 'gurprasad' spontaneously."
2: Pritam Singh Grewal (Canada), November 15, 2012, 10:48 AM.
In the words of Guru Ram Das, "hum jaisay apradhi avar koi rakhai jaisay hum satgur rakh leaye chhadaye."
3: Yuktanand Singh (USA), November 15, 2012, 11:24 AM.
I expect that everyone has read the entire shabad referred in message #1. In my opinion, effort (ghaal) is necessary. Service (seva) is also necessary. But above all, it is necessary to keep calling Him during all our efforts. Those who are blessed with His mercy, they simply keep calling: "tin gureh kamaano mantaa", without expecting anything in return. His response is unpredictable. Generally it occurs when we least expect it. This is what is meant by 'a-chin-taa' or self-surrender.
4: Yuktanand Singh (USA), November 15, 2012, 11:29 AM.
Sant Naranjan Singh ji used to say that a mother can tell when her child's cry is real. As long as the child is busy with the toys, food, etc., the mother continues with her chores. But when the child is in real distress, she leaves everything and comes running. We may feel that our distress is real. Temporary anguish due to some loss is often confused with spiritual distress. But God and the Guru know when our distress is real. We need to continue making the effort and be 'a-chint' or let-go of any thoughts as to when we may be worthy of a response from God.